Bodyguards Say SEIU Owes $924,000|For Protecting Bosses During Union Beef

SAN FRANCISCO (CN) - A security service claims the Service Employees International Union CTW/CLC owes it $924,000 for protecting SEIU union leaders during a struggle with a local, SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West. The Oso Group sued Bullock Associates and the SEIU in Federal Court.

According to the complaint: "The parties' contractual agreement had its origins in the time period of January and February 2009 during which SEIU was seeking to perfect and implement a trusteeship over one of its local union affiliates, SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West ('UHW'). During that time frame, the UHW's then-leadership was actively resisting the trusteeship by purportedly encouraging its members to destroy, damage, or transfer UHW documents, records and other UHW property. SEIU claimed to fear possible violence and retaliation from the UHW, asserting that UHW leaders had encouraged and/or instructed members to physically resist the trusteeship proceedings; impede the ability of the trustees to take possession of the Oakland headquarters and other UHW facilities; withhold, destroy, damage or transfer UHW documents, records, and other property; and to commit acts constituting harassment, threats and violence toward UHW employees and staff members who chose to continue to work for UHW and/or cooperate with the trustees.

"In recognition of the volatile and dangerous circumstances, plaintiff and defendants entered into a contractual relationship which required that plaintiff provide, inter alia: (a) SEIU and its out-of-town leadership with 24-hour, seven day a week security, surveillance, and protection service at various UHW facilities in California under conditions where physical violence had routinely occurred and was threatened; and (b) executive protection and drivers for the upper echelon of SEIU leadership visiting California during the UHW transition period, including the provision of protection and privacy for SEIU executives involved in discreet meetings with CEOs of major hospital organizations and one or more members of the California Legislature and staff in which SEIU, which was concerned about work furloughs for its members during California's budget crisis, successfully negotiated a furlough exemption for its California workers. In return for plaintiff's performance of these difficult, inherently dangerous, and highly specialized services, defendants agreed to pay plaintiff in full immediately upon its submission of weekly invoices," according to the complaint.

The Oso Group claims the union owes it $924,434.13. It is represented by Malcolm Segal with Segal & Kirby.

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Email *

Submit